In brief

• Polish police seized more than 1.6 tonnes of klofedron in a lab in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki county.
• The drugs are valued at over 82 million zloty.
• Three men were caught producing the drug and face charges of belonging to an organised criminal group.

Lab found on a farm

Officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP) found a drug lab in outbuildings on a farm near Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, in Mazovia (CBŚP zlikwidowało laboratorium narkotykowe. Przejęto 1,6 tony klofedronu – newsmaxpolska.pl) (Służby zlikwidowały gigantyczne laboratorium narkotykowe na Mazowszu – RMF24). Two rooms were used: one held a fully equipped production line, and the other a drying chamber used to prepare the drug for distribution (У Польщі вилучили понад 1,6 тонни синтетичних наркотиків на понад $20 млн – Європейська правда).

Three suspects detained

Officers caught three men while they were producing klofedron. More than 1,600 kilograms of finished drug was found in the farm buildings, and more was found at the suspects' homes. Police put the total value of the seized drugs above 82 million zloty (Wpadli na gorącym uczynku. Przejęto klofedron wart 82 miliony złotych – TVN24). Officers also secured about 650,000 zloty in cash (Ponad 1,6 tony klofedronu i 82 mln zł. CBŚP rozbiło laboratorium narkotykowe – Onet).

Charges and detention

Prosecutors in Łódź charged the men with taking part in an organised criminal group and with producing large quantities of psychotropic substances. All three were placed in pre-trial detention. Each faces up to 20 years in prison.

Investigation

More than 60 CBŚP officers took part in the operation, which was part of an investigation overseen by the Łódź branch of the National Prosecutor's Office, the unit that handles organised crime and corruption (Ponad 1,6 tony klofedronu zabezpieczone przez CBŚP. Trzy osoby w areszcie - Aktualności Centralne Biuro Śledcze Policji – cbsp.policja.pl). Police have not said whether further arrests are planned.